Dual tray athletic mouthguard

Abstract

A mouthguard for use by athletes, including a dual tray assembly molded together. The first tray is molded from a hard plastic such as an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, and has a portion that engage the cusps of the lower jaw molars to prevent the tray from moving backward on impact. A second tray is molded on to the first tray using a soft plastic or gel like material, such as a high percentage vinyl acetate copolymers of ethylene vinyl acetate, that softens at slightly elevated temperatures that a user can easily tolerate. The first time the mouthguard is used, it is heated in warm water, then the user puts it in his or her mouth and bites down to cause the second tray to conform to the upper teeth. When in use, the ridges on the first tray engage the teeth of the lower jaw to prevent movement of the lower jaw on impact.

1 . A mouthguard device for use by athletes in competition and the like, comprising: 
 a first tray having an upward facing generally U-shape for insertion into a user's mouth such that the middle of the U-shape is aligned with the front teeth and the ends of the U=shape are aligned with the back teeth, said first tray having a lower surface with at least one interface formed on each of said ends and of sufficient size to engage at least one cusp of a lower molar of the user, said first tray being of sufficient rigidity to prevent movement thereof with respect to the user's teeth upon impact; and    a second tray fixedly attached to said first tray and positioned inside said U-shape for engagement with the user's upper teeth, said second tray being formed from a material having a softening point at a temperature low enough to not cause discomfort to the user, such that heating to said temperature and insertion into the user's mouth allows the user to conform said second tray substantially to said upper teeth.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said first tray is molded and said second tray is molded on to said first tray to fixedly attach the trays together.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein first tray is molded from an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a hardness of at least 80 on the Shore A scale and a softening temperature of no less than about 270° F.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein second tray is molded from an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a hardness of no more than 65 on the Shore A scale and a softening temperature of no more than about 230° F.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein said first tray is about 1.0 to about 2.0 mm thick and said second tray is about 2.0 to about 4.0 mm thick.  
   
   
       6 . The mouthguard of  claim 1 , wherein said lower surface of said first tray has at least three ridges formed on each of said ends of sufficient size to engage the cusps of the lower jaw molar of the user.  
   
   
       7 . A mouthguard device for use by athletes in competition and the like, comprising: 
 first tray means for engaging the lower jaw of a user and having an upward facing generally U-shape for insertion into a user's mouth such that the middle of the U-shape is aligned with the front teeth and the ends of the U-shape are aligned with the back teeth, said first tray means having a lower surface with at least one interface means formed on each of said ends and of sufficient size for engaging at least one cusp of a lower molar of the user, said first tray means being of sufficient rigidity to prevent movement thereof with respect to the user's teeth upon impact; and    second tray means for engagement of the user's upper teeth and fixedly attached to said first tray means and positioned inside said U-shape for said engagement with the user's upper teeth, said second tray means being formed from a material having a softening point at a temperature low enough to not cause discomfort to the user, such that heating to said temperature and insertion into the user's mouth allows the user to conform said second tray means substantially to said upper teeth.    
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein said first tray means is molded and said second tray means is molded on to said first tray means to fixedly attach the tray means together.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein first tray means is molded from an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a hardness of at least 80 on the Shore A scale and a softening temperature of no less than about 270° F.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein first tray means is molded from an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a hardness of at least 80 on the Shore A scale and a softening temperature of no more than about 230° F.  
   
   
       11 . The mouthguard of  claim 10 , wherein said second portion means is formed from a gel selected from the group consisting of styrene block copolymers and thermoplastic polyurethanes.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein second tray means is molded from an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a hardness of no more than 65 on the Shore A scale and a softening temperature of no more than about 230° F.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein said first tray means is about 1.0 to about 2.0 mm thick and said second tray means is about 2.0 to about 4.0 mm thick.  
   
   
       14 . The mouthguard of  claim 7 , wherein said lower surface of said first tray means has at least three ridge means formed on each of said ends of sufficient size to engage the cusps of the lower jaw molar of the user.